Most communication systems involve a number of system-cards. Such cards are usually manufactured as so-called printed circuit boards (PCBs). Because of the ever increasing requirements in data rates, due for example to the Internet, the limits of using electrical communications are being reached. It has become difficult to guarantee good signal integrity over the electrical lines.
To respond to this bandwidth demand, high speed systems are now being built with optical layers (optical fibres or planar waveguides) incorporated in replacement of the electrically-conducting metal. Indeed, light does not suffer from the same limitations as electricity.
Optical coupling devices may be used to interconnect an optical layer of a PCB, or so-called optical circuit board (OCB), with an external optical component. In order to ensure efficient transfer of light through the optical coupling device, a very precise positioning of it with respect to the circuit board is necessary, both along a vertical direction and transverse thereto. The coupling device further needs to be firmly maintained in this precise position. Further, the external optical component needs to also be precisely positioned with respect to the optical coupling device.
The instant invention has notably for object to provide such functions.